Getting familiar with Nintendo’s new 3DS and a stack of games

Posted By
Bryan Moore
On
May 11, 2011 @ 9:25 pm
In
Game On |
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Ask and you shall receive.

Eventually, that is.

When I first endeavored to start this blog, my biggest challenge was making connections to get material to review.

Some may scoff, but tracking down those in charge of dispersing assets was like trying to hunt down the FBI’s most wanted list. I kid you not.

Over time, I was able to establish a decent stream of products for Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and Sony’s Playstation 3.

But something was missing.

That something was Nintendo.

I don’t get a budget to buy games, systems, or various equipment, so I’m at the mercy of what is sent my way. Having Xbox and Playstation was great, but having my coverage somewhat limited to them was bothersome.

Sure, I could borrow a Wii to play the occasional game that crossed my desk, but that didn’t exactly qualify as convenient.

After months of trying, I was finally able to establish contact with a representative at Nintendo. Before I knew it, I had a new 3DS to test-drive through the twists and turns of nine games.

While it is no secret that Playstation and Xbox rule the stationary console market, Nintendo can be considered king of the portable console market.

Their new Nintendo 3DS only solidifies that dominance.

3D movies and televisions are all the rage, so it only makes sense to add video games, too, right?

Ok, but now imagine being able to do that without the dorky glasses (the 3DS allows the user to tweak the intensity of 3D to their preference), and you can begin to appreciate what the 3DS brings to the table.

I am including a video of each to give a better feel for the game play.

Asphalt 3D Solid racing game. I was pleasantly surprised to see Aspen come up amongst the choices of tracks. My little boy preferred this game, while I leaned towards Ridge Racer.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Shadow Wars First-person shooters dominate the market, and what better representative than Tom Clancy’s successful series? A no-brainer when considering games for the 3DS.

Lego Star Wars III Can’t seem to go wrong with any game in the Lego family, and this is no exception. I usually shy away from kid’s games, but found myself playing this much longer than I expected. Perfect for younger gamers.

Madden NFL Football Honestly wasn’t expecting game play to be as tight as it was. Was probably my favorite game of the group. My little boy was also partial to it.

Pilotwings Resort Not my style, but solid game play kept my youngster entertained. A great buy for beginner gamers.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D I’ll just say it: I’m not a soccer fan. I’ve tried through the years, but it just isn’t in me. But I REALLY like playing soccer video games. The quality of game play really pushes this selection over the top.

Ridge Racer 3D Of the two racing games, I gave this one the edge. Don’t really have a particular reason for that thinking. Just enjoyed it more. But my son enjoyed Asphalt better, so what do I know?

Super Street Fighter IV Was my second-favorite game. Honestly, it really brings a big of everything to the table, and if I wasn’t so football/Madden crazy, it would be hard not to crown this the best game of the bunch. But there is also a reason this series has been around for so long. It’s just that good.

The Sims 3 The Sims’ series take two things I don’t have a lot of: Time and commitment. Haha. Kidding. Not my preferred type of game, but my familiarity with the series allows me to say with confidence that fans won’t be disappointed.

I’m looking forward to going more in depth with future 3DS releases, but in the meantime, here is a list of factory presented highlights for the system:

Stereo cameras that enable users to take 3D photos that can be viewed instantly on the 3D screen.

SpotPass, a feature that lets Nintendo 3DS detect wireless hotspots or wireless LAN access points and obtain information, game data, free software, videos and so on for players even when the system is in sleep mode.

StreetPass, a feature that lets Nintendo 3DS exchange data automatically with other Nintendo 3DS systems within range, even in sleep mode once this feature is activated by the user. Data for multiple games can be exchanged simultaneously.

Convenient features that users can access without stopping game play such as the HOME menu, Internet Brower, Notifications, etc.

System Transfer which enable users to transfer already purchased software from one Nintendo 3DS system to another. DSiWare purchased for the Nintendo DSi or the Nintendo DSi XL can also be transferred into a Nintendo 3DS system.

Compatibility functions where both new software designed for Nintendo 3DS and most software for the Nintendo DS family of systems can be played.

Parental Controls which enable parents to restrict game content by ratings as well as use of specific wireless connectivity, 3D functionality, etc.